Most consumer tech products are available for a test drive before the final purchase: try on an Apple Watch at the Apple Store, tap through a Samsung Galaxy S7 at your local carrier's store, or try out the Surface Pro 4 at a Microsoft Store.

Virtual reality, however, is much less accessible. But now, Oculus and Best Buy are teaming up to offer in-store demos of the Oculus Rift at 48 retail locations starting May 7.

"For many, this is a first chance to jump into truly immersive VR," the Oculus Team wrote in a blog post.

Promising a "variety" of experiences "that everyone can enjoy," the program includes VR vignettes with Oculus Dreamdeck, rock climbing in The Climb, and, coming soon: the alien worlds of Farlands. Interested customers can go online to schedule a Rift demo up to a month in advance; visit Oculus Live to find a local participating Best Buy store, then choose a date and time for your appointment.

Expect more US retail locations later this summer, as well as international venues in Canada and Europe in the fall.

Related

A "small number" of Rifts will be available for purchase at select Best Buy stores later this week; the headsets also hit online shelves via Microsoft and Amazon starting May 6 at noon ET. If you already pre-ordered a Rift and are waiting on the delivery, you can instead make an in-store purchase and Oculus will cancel your online order. You'll still get pre-order benefits, like the EVE: ValkyrieFounder's Pack and priority status for Touch controller pre-orders, which were delayed until the second half of 2016.

About the Author

Stephanie joined PCMag in May 2012, moving to New York City from Frederick, Md., where she worked for four years as a multimedia reporter at the second-largest daily newspaper in Maryland. She interned at Baltimore magazine and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (in the town of Indiana, in the state of Pennsylvania) with a degree in ... See Full Bio

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